Ryan Mason claimed his first victory as caretaker manager of Tottenham on Saturday, as Harry Kane's header in first-half stoppage time was enough to edge Spurs past Crystal Palace.
The goal, Kane's 209th in the league, nudges him ahead of Wayne Rooney and into second place on the all time Premier League top scorers list. More pertinently, it keeps Spurs' hopes of playing in Europe next season alive, ahead of a huge six-pointer at Aston Villa next week.
Meanwhile, defeat is a blow for Palace's hopes of finishing in the top ten, though Roy Hodgson will not be too worried - he has already achieved his main aim of keeping his side in the top flight.
So what did we learn from Spurs' narrow victory?
Porro excels in advanced role
Pedro Porro has had a mixed time in North London so far. Having endured a disastrous debut in a 4-1 defeat at Leicester City, the former Manchester City full-back has gradually begun to win over the Spurs' faithful with his energy and dangerous deliveries from the right wing.
Question marks remain over the Spaniard's suitability as a right-back given his suspect defensive positioning, but his strength has always been going the other way - he claimed two goals and six assists in just twelve league starts for Sporting this year before signing for Spurs in January.
Liberated by Mason's decision to play Emerson Royal behind him, Porro was Tottenham's main creative threat as a more orthodox right-winger.
He created the only goal of the game with a sumptuous cross for Kane, and looked dangerous throughout. Spurs frequently looked to find Porro with quick cross field balls, exploiting the space left out wide by Palace's narrow back four.
If Tottenham can consistently find the tactical balance to accommodate Porro's forward surges, he could be a big player for them next season.
Spurs struggle for tactical identity
In truth, this wasn't a classic. Both sides struggled for fluidity, with clear chances at a premium. Perhaps that was to be expected - with Tottenham out of top four contention and Palace already safe, neither side had much to play for.
The spectacle certainly wasn't helped by the hosts' passive approach for much of the game, as they looked happy to sit deep and cede possession. While it was effective at keeping Palace at bay - this was Spurs' first clean sheet since February - it did at times resemble the duller days of Antonio Conte's reign.
Mason has spoken about getting the side playing more positively but there is only so much he can do in his short time as interim boss. A 20-minute spell in the second half aside, when they pinned Palace in their own half, the team generally looked more comfortable when defending in numbers.
Spurs need a clear identity if they are going to move forward and challenge for trophies. They must decide how they want to play, appoint the right manager and back him in the transfer market.
Palace struggle to break down stubborn opposition - again
Crystal Palace have long had a problem with breaking down deep defences and so it proved once more at White Hart Lane on Saturday.
The Eagles were well in the game and enjoyed long spells of possession, but struggled to turn territory into clear chances as they failed to score for the second away game in a row.
Their last trip away from home to Wolves had been a similar story and here, they once again huffed and puffed without finding a breakthrough. Palace's holy trinity of Wilfried Zaha, Ebere Eze and Michael Olise had their moments on Saturday but overall were kept at arms length by resolute Spurs defending.
Spurs (1.18) 1-0 (0.52) Crystal Palace
— The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) May 6, 2023
Their style has evolved somewhat over the past two years as they have added more attacking firepower to the side, but they have always looked at their best when playing against teams who leave lots of space in behind for their pacy forwards to exploit, and so it remains.
Whoever their new manager is, they will need to find a way to solve Palace's longstanding problem.
Johnstone continues fine form
Sam Johnstone finally got his chance in the Palace side five games ago when Vicente Guaita suffered a calf injury. Having not started a league game all season, most expected Johnstone to be simply minding the shop until long-standing number one Guaita returned.
Instead, Johnstone's outstanding performances have seen him retain his place ever since, even though the Spaniard is now fit again, and he now looks like Palace's first choice keeper.
Though he was not tested often here, when he was called into action in the second half, he produced an outstanding stop to prevent Son Heung-min from converting when 1-v-1. Johnstone stayed on his feet as the South Korean tried to go round him and was eventually able to smother the ball, saving a certain goal.
Aside from one error against Wolves which led to a penalty, Johnstone has been flawless for Palace so far. Guaita is a fans' favourite, but it would be hard to make a case for him to return to the side right now - it will be intriguing to see whether a new manager restores him as first choice next season.